The Journey Through Love
by iloveromance
Summary: When Marcie Walsh is attacked on the Llanview campus, she is left severely injured... and with no memories of Michael McBain. Can he find away to bring her back to him?
1. Chapter 1

Michael paced the floor of the hospital wing. Nervously, he looked at his cell phone, willing it to ring. Marcie should have called by now. He glanced at his watch; 11:52 it read. Marcie's radio show ended at eleven, so she must be at home. He hated to call her again and leave yet another message. Maybe she was asleep. He tried to focus his attention on his work, but something just didn't feel right.

He sighed and flipped open his cell phone. He could feel his stomach tighten as he dialed Marcie's number. _Please let her be home._

The phone rang and rang. He heard a click and for a second he thought she might answer. When he heard her voice, he started to speak. Crestfallen, he realized it was her voice mail.

"_This is Marcie. I can't come to the phone right now, so please leave your name and phone number at the beep."  
_

"Marcie, its Michael." He said frantically into the phone.

"Honey, where are you? I'm really worried. Please call me. I'm at the hospital. If I don't answer, have them page me, okay?"

He snapped the phone shut as his heart began to race. At least he was at work, where his mind would be on his patients. God, sometimes he hated being a doctor. These long hours were driving him crazy. It wasn't fair to Marcie either. They had just found each other and now their careers were keeping them apart.

Just then he heard his name over the intercom.

"_Dr. McBain to ER, stat! Dr. McBain to ER, stat!"_

Crazily, he felt relief over finally having something to do. He knew it was wrong; lives were in danger here. Still, it would take his mind off of Marcie. He was pulling an all-nighter, so he'd make sure and call her as soon as he got off.

Throwing the cell phone into his coat pocket, he ran to the ER. Several doctors and paramedics were gathered around a stretcher. The paramedics lifted a limp body from the stretcher onto a table and began working frantically. Michael walked over to the doctor in charge.

"Dr. McBain here sir." Michael said, extending his hand.

"Thanks for getting here so quickly." The doctor said, shaking Michael's hand.

"What happened?" Michael asked.

"Not sure." The doctor replied. "They found her at Llanview University. She's in pretty bad shape."

"What are the vital signs?" Michael asked as the doctor handed him a chart.

"Not good. The woman may be in a coma. She's breathing but other than that there's been no response."

"Okay, let's see what we can do." Michael followed the doctor to where the paramedics were still working on the woman. He stood, watching the doctor in action.

"Nothing." The doctor said, turning to Michael.

"Here. Let me look at her." Michael said.

He moved closer to the woman. As soon as he saw her face, he gasped.

_No… It can't be…._


	2. Chapter 2

"Marcie…" he said, feeling his body go numb. His throat was so dry, he could hardly speak. _Oh my God… how had this happened?_ He reached out and touched her face, cringing as he studied the purple bruises… so many bruises…. He wanted to kiss them away. His eyes filled with tears and he had to fight to keep them from falling.

"Dr. McBain! Dr. McBain!" Suddenly Michael realized that the doctor was speaking to him. Michael looked up. Still in shock, he tried to speak. "Yeah?"

"I was asking for your prognosis on this patient." The doctor said.

The room was silent, waiting for a response. However, Michael couldn't keep his eyes off of Marcie. He touched her face again with the back of his hand. His mind drifted to the best day of his life… Valentine's Day…

Everything had gone according to plan. Simply Red was incredible at Capricorn. Marcie loved it. She looked so beautiful that night. Finally she had forgiven him for kissing Jen. It devastated him to see her so upset. After the incident with Jen, he was sure that he had lost her forever. Why had he given into Jen's seductions? He'd never meant to hurt Marcie.

Valentine's Day had changed everything. Something magical had happened that night. But what? Well, as he told Marcie… _Maybe we happened…_

"Dr. McBain! What's your prognosis on this patient? We don't have much time." Michael looked at the nurse who was speaking to him. Clearly she was more than irritated with him. How was he supposed to help her? He had no idea. The moment he realized it was Marcie on that table, everything he learned in medical school seemed to have vanished from his mind. What was he going to do?

"…well?" one of the interns said in a tone that told Michael he was not happy. Quickly his eyes searched Marcie's limp body. She had numerous cuts on her face, arms and forehead. He was sure her leg was broken and he figured she probably had injured her ribs. He had to think fast.

"Okay…" he said to one of the nurses. "Hook up this IV immediately. I want to get this into her system and see if we can get some kind of response." The nurse did as instructed.

"Okay, good." Michael said to no one in particular. An intern approached him. "What can I do?" she asked.

Michael tried to smile. "Yes, thank you. I need you to clean up these cuts as much as possible without hurting her and get her bandaged up. Take care of any that need stitches as well, please."

"Yes sir. Right away." The intern immediately got a wet cloth and began wiping away the excess blood lingering on Marcie's face.

"I'll be back soon." Michael said to the paramedics. In a daze, he walked to the lobby and sat down, trying to regain his composure. He was a doctor. He wasn't supposed to let things get to him. But this was Marcie. He put his hands on his hand and closed his eyes. God, this was his fault. He should have taken some time off to be with Marcie. Taking time off was looked down upon in the medical field, but Marcie was important to him. He'd hurt her so many times, he vowed never to do it again.

Just then the elevator doors opened and Jen and Riley came running out. "Michael, thank God." Jen said throwing herself into his arms. "Where's Marcie? Is she okay?" Tears streamed down her cheeks as Riley pulled her away from Michael, holding her.

"Um, they're working on her right now. She's in the ER." Michael said. "We're doing everything we can."

Jen sighed. "Michael, this is Marcie we're talking about! How is she?"

Michael glanced at his watch and was shocked to see that he'd been sitting in the lobby for almost an hour.

"I'll be right back, Jen." He said as he turned to go back to the emergency room.

"There you are, Dr. McBain. We've been looking for you." The doctor said. "We've moved her into ICU. She has a broken leg and three fractured ribs. They should heal on their own. We've bandaged her up, but it looks like she may be in a coma."

"H-how did this happen?" Michael asked, forgetting that the doctor had already told him.

"She was found unconscious on campus over at Llanview University. We don't know any specifics yet. Looks like it was some kind of attack."

Without a word, Michael rushed to the elevator and within minutes was at the ICU. He ran to the receptionist who was reading a magazine. "Marcie Walsh?" He asked breathlessly. The receptionist pointed to a glass window, directly across from the desk.

Michael walked into the room, which was eerily quiet except for the humming and beeping of the machines hooked up to her body. Even bandaged, she was still beautiful. She looked like an angel, sleeping softly. He pulled a chair next to her bed and sat down. He took her hand in his, lacing his fingers through hers.

"Oh Marcie. I'm sorry. This-this is my fault." He brushed her hair away from her face, revealing yet another bandage. He raised her hand to his mouth, kissing it softly. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her forever. Instead, she laid there, bandages covering the cuts on her beautiful face. Pulling back the blanket, he saw the white cast covering her right leg. He couldn't resist running his fingers gently through her silky hair.

Suddenly he heard voices approaching. Afraid it was the doctor from the ER; he covered Marcie with the blanket and began reading the monitors. Jen and Riley came into the room.

"Oh my God…" Jen said, putting her hand over her mouth. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she threw herself into Riley's arms.

"How is she?" Riley asked.

Michael sighed. "Well, she's stable but we're hoping she'll wake up soon."

Jen broke away from Riley and walked over to the bed.

"Oh my god, Marcie…" She said, taking Marcie's hand.

She turned to Michael.

"This is our fault, you know. If Marcie hadn't seen us kissing…"

"Jen!" Riley said, giving Michael a sympathetic look.

Before Michael could respond, Vicki walked into the room.

"Oh Marcie…" she said, walking over to the bed. Gently she touched Marcie's hair. "I should have been able to stop this… I'm the President of the University."

"No, Viki. It wasn't your fault." Michael said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you." Viki said. "There will definitely be an investigation over this. Oh I just can't believe it. This just breaks my heart."

"Well…" Michael said. "All this talk can't be good for Marcie. We should leave so she can be alone for a while. I'm sure the other doctors want to check her out."

Viki looked at her watch. "I should go anyway. I have a meeting at LU in the morning. I'll try to stop in later tomorrow, okay?"

Michael smiled. "I'm sure she'd like that."

"Goodbye,' Viki said as she turned to leave.

Riley looked over at Jen. "We really should go." He said.

Jen walked over to Marcie and took her hand. "Goodbye Marcie. I'll be back tomorrow." She started to cry as Riley escorted her out the door.

Michael followed them out to the elevators. "She's in good hands, okay?" He said to Jen. "We'll give her the best care possible."

"Thank you." Jen said taking Michael's hand. The elevator doors opened and Riley smiled at Michael as they got on and the doors closed.

Michael turned and walked back to Marcie's room. No one was around, so he went in and sat in the chair next to her bed. He took her hand, rubbing it gently with his fingers. "My God. Who would do something like this to you?" This was Marcie Walsh. She worked hard, cared about everyone and was extremely fond of his mom. He looked at his watch, seeing that he still had several hours before his shift ended. He wondered if anyone missed him. He'd hardly done any of his regular duties since Marcie was brought into the ER.

Sighing, he kissed her hand, stood and walked out the door, closing it behind him. He looked through the window at Marcie, who was still sleeping peacefully. "Goodnight, Marcie." He said, blowing her a kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

Six AM finally arrived and Michael's shift was over. For the first time in his life, he felt guilty leaving the hospital after working a fifteen-hour day. He turned in his clipboard and grabbed his jacket. "Good night, Karen." He said to the receptionist at the main desk.  
She looked at him with concern. "Are you okay, Dr. McBain? You look tired."

Michael smiled. "Thanks, but I'm okay. I have a couple of days off for once. I guess the timing was pretty good. That hasn't happened in I don't know when."

He pulled his car into the driveway, completely exhausted. Maybe now he could get some sleep. He got out of the car and went to the back door, unlocking it quietly, trying not to wake up Ron. As soon as he opened the door, Ron ran toward him. His face was full of fear.

"Michael! Thank God you're home. Is Marcie okay?" Michael stepped inside, taking off his coat and threw his keys on the table. Sighing, he sat down on the sofa. "Well, she's in pretty bad shape, but she's stable. She's in a mild coma."

"Oh man! Why couldn't I have protected her? She's my sister for God's sake!" Ron stood up and started to pace the room.

Michael stood and pulled Ron back onto the sofa. "Ron, it's okay. It's not your fault." Typical doctor talk; even Michael didn't know if he believed that Marcie would be okay.

"It-it's all over the news." Ron said.

"What's on the news?" Michael asked curiously.

"About the accident at Llanview U." Ron said.

"What?" Michael anxiously went over to the television and turned it up. Erika's face appeared on the screen. She was being interviewed at the University.

"Mrs. Davidson, can you tell us what happened?" A reporter was asking.

"Well, at this point, all we know is that a student was attacked last night while walking to her car. Reports say that it happened around 11:15."

"Do the police have any suspects or a motive?" another reporter asked.

"Well, as you know there have been several horrific killings on the Llanview University campus, so we think it could be related." Viki replied.

"So you're saying that this student was attacked by the Music Box Killer?" Viki sighed and cleared her throat.

"Yes, it's very possible."

Michael turned off the TV. "Damn it, I need to talk to John." He grabbed his keys from the table and went to the door.

Ron followed him. "Michael, wait! You need some sleep. Why don't you take a nap and go over later?"

"No, I have to go now. That maniac almost killed Marcie and I swear he won't get away with it."

"Okay, man." Ron said, hugging him. "I'm gonna go up to the hospital and visit Marcie, so I'll see ya later."

"Give Marcie a kiss for me, will ya?" Michael said, smiling at Ron.

"Will do, Roomie." Ron said.

Arriving at the Llanview Police station, Michael raced to Bo's office. Bo and Nora stood as soon as they saw him.

"Michael!" Nora walked over to him and hugged him. "How's Marcie doing?" Bo asked. Michael sighed. Every time someone asked him about Marcie all he could think about is the way she looked when he saw her in the emergency room.

"You okay, Michael? You look like you haven't had much sleep." Bo said.

Michael sighed again. "I'm okay. I'm just worried about Marcie. She's in a coma."

Nora looked stunned and sat down. "Oh dear God. Who could have done this?"

Bo looked at Nora, then at Michael. "Well, we're gonna find the scum who did this and put him away, I promise you that."

"Thanks." Michael said. "Is-is John here?"

Just then, John opened the door. "John!" Nora said. "Michael's been looking for you."

John looked at Michael. "Hey bro. What's up?"

Nora and Bo started to leave. "Hey, you don't have to leave on my account." John said.

Nora touched Michael on the shoulder. "I think you two should be alone." She said to John as she and Bo walked out the door.

John walked to the desk and sat down. Michael sat in the chair across from him. "So, what'd you want to see me about?"

Michael cleared his throat. "You heard about the attack at the university last night, right?"

"Yeah, I was over at Natalie's so I don't know the details. Bo said he was working on it." John said.

Michael felt his throat tighten. "Marcie is the one who was attacked. She's in a coma."

"What?" John practically yelled. "Why didn't someone tell me? Damn that Haver!"

"What about Professor Haver?" Michael asked.

"He's no professor. He's a murderer! I swear to God, I'll kill him with my bare hands, if I have to! First Natalie, then our mom, and now Marcie! He's lucky she's still alive."

"Wait, what are you saying? You think Professor Haver did this? He's Marcie's favorite teacher!"

"He's also our resident Music Box Killer." John replied.

Michael sat there, stunned. Could Professor Haver really have done this to Marcie? He was on her radio show!

"This is unbelievable." Michael said, rising from his chair. He walked to the door to leave then turned around. "John? Please get this guy, whoever it is, okay? For me?"

John got up and walked over to Michael, putting an arm around his shoulder. "Definitely." He said.

Just then, Eve McBain opened the door. "John, have you seen-Michael, honey are you okay?" she said throwing her arms around Michael. "I've just come from the hospital. I'm so sorry about Marcie. It's a terrible thing."

John paced the room. "This is Haver's doing. I know it."

Eve stiffened. "Oh God, not him. You mean he's still on the loose?"

"Not for long, Mom. Not after what he did to you, Natalie and now Marcie."

"Why on Earth would he want to hurt Marcie so badly?" Eve asked.

"Because Haver knows that Michael is my brother and Marcie is Michael's girlfriend. He'll do anything to anyone with any connection to me. He knows Marcie works here."  
Michael looked terrified. "John, please catch whoever did this, please!" Michael said. "Marcie's in a coma and I don't know if she'll ever wake up." He kissed Eve on the cheek and walked out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Michael was on call, but he really hated being away from the hospital. He had finally managed to get a few hours of sleep but even that was sporadic. Thoughts of Marcie kept waking him up. Every time he closed his eyes, he relived that horrible moment in the ER. He tried to go back to sleep but it was impossible.

Frustrated, he threw the blanket off and climbed out of bed. He changed clothes and grabbed his keys. He knew he needed more sleep but he just couldn't. He got in his car and mindlessly began driving. He didn't even know where he was until he arrived at the hospital.

The elevator at the hospital took forever to reach the ICU floor. He was out in seconds, racing toward Marcie's room. As soon as he arrived, he pulled up a chair and sat down.

Just then, the doctor came in to check Marcie's vitals.

"Dr. McBain! You're supposed to be on call today. What are you doing here?" The doctor asked.

Michael watched as the doctor changed the bandages on Marcie's face. She was still swollen but looked a lot better than the night before.

"How's she doing?"

The doctor smiled.

"She's doing better but there's still no response. Her bruises and cuts seem to be healing well. We're hoping that she'll come out of the coma soon. Such a shame this happened to her though."

"Tell me about it." Michael said.

"Don't worry. We're taking good care of her. She'll come out of this coma very soon, I promise." The doctor said.

As the doctor left the room, he turned to Michael.

"I'll be back into check on her in a little while"

Michael smiled at the doctor and turned to Marcie. Taking her hand, he kissed it softly. "Hey Sweetie. How are you doing?" He touched her face with his hand.

"It's Michael, honey. I'm here for you. Oh God, did Professor Haver really do this to you? I swear, Marcie, I'll make him pay if it's the last thing I do. John's doing everything he can to catch Haver and put him away for good." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, avoiding the bandage. He looked out the window of the room, hoping no one saw the tears that were streaming down his face.


	5. Chapter 5

Michael opened his eyes and looked around the room. What time was it? He looked at his watch. _Oh man..._

He realized that he'd been sitting with Marcie almost all day. He kissed her hand. _It's too quiet in here..._

Michael stood up and rummaged through the backpack he'd brought with him. He'd brought Marcie several bouquets of flowers in just the last two days. Combined with the flowers from Marcie's friends and from Llanview University, the room smelled wonderful.

He pulled out yet another bouquet, along with a CD. The doctor had suggested that he play familiar music which would hopefully will Marcie out of the coma. Carefully, he placed the CD in the player. A familiar song filled the room. It was the Simply Red song that they had danced to on Valentine's Day at Capricorn. The words took him back again to that night, when she was in his arms...

'_Cause it's you. You make me feel brand-new..."_

He looked out the window, remembering that wonderful moment. Suddenly he heard a faint noise. He'd heard the song so many times that he knew it wasn't the CD. His heart raced as he turned to Marcie. She moved her head and sighed.

Michael moved toward her and was overcome with emotion. She was awake!

"Marcie!" He said. He grabbed her hand as she opened her eyes and looked around the room.

"Welcome back, Sweetie!" Michael said, kissing her hand. Marcie pulled her hand away but Michael was too excited to notice. He let go of her hand and ran to the door.

"Get Marcie's doctor, NOW!" he shouted to the receptionist. "She's awake!"


	6. Chapter 6

The doctors were in the room within minutes, each of them thoroughly checking out Marcie.

_Finally, she's come back to me._

"Welcome back, Marcie." One of the doctors said. She eyed them suspiciously. Michael looked helplessly at the doctor. This was crazy. He was a doctor! He'd been through years of medical school and yet he had no idea what to do.

"It's okay, Dr. McBain." The doctor said. "She's just a little frightened. She's been in the coma for a few days, so it's only natural that she doesn't seem to know where she is or why she's here."

"What can we do for her?" Michael asked.

The doctor sighed. "Well, you already helped by playing the CD. That must have triggered something in Marcie and brought her out of the coma. Why don't you try talking to her and see if she remembers anything about the accident?"

"Okay. I'll do anything to get her to realize how much she means to me." Michael said. He turned to her and took her hand, despite her reluctance. She stared at him blankly.

Michael smiled at her. "Hey, Sweetie. It's me, Michael. How are you?"

As soon as he spoke, Marcie began to cry. "Marcie, honey, please don't cry. I hate to see you so upset. What's wrong?" Michael asked, rubbing her hand.

Suddenly, Marcie let go of his hand and tried to get out of bed. "Hold it, Marcie!" the doctor said. "We don't want you running out of here just yet. You'll be able to leave in a few days." The doctor and Michael gently pushed Marcie back in the bed. Michael covered her with the blanket.

"Why do you suppose she's crying?" Michael asked the doctor. "I couldn't take it if she's not happy to see me. It would break my heart."

"Don't worry. It's just temporary memory loss. She had a bad blow to her head in the accident, but it won't cause any permanent damage. It will all come back to her in time. Just talk about things that are familiar to both of you. Trust me, it will be okay." The doctor said reassuringly.

Michael turned to Marcie again. He grabbed a Kleenex from the box and gently began blotting the tears from Marcie's face. "Hey, Sweetie. Why are you crying? I'm right here. Nothing is going to happen to you. What's wrong?"

Marcie opened her mouth and tried to talk. Michael looked at her in amazement, as a smile filled his face. "What's wrong? You can talk to me." He touched her nose with his finger.  
"I-I'm scared." Marcie said.

Michael was filled with relief. She didn't have memory loss after all. She knew what was going on.  
Gently he reached over and put his arms around her, holding her tightly. Her body was limp, but he knew of no other feeling in the world at that moment, other than having her in his arms. After a few minutes he let go. He supposed he should see if she could remember anything else.

"You're in the hospital, Marcie." He laced his fingers through hers. "You were attacked at the University. Don't you remember?"

"No..." Michael said when Marcie shook her head.  
Smiling he thought for a minute. "You don't remember any of it, do you?" He said.  
Marcie shook her head again.

Michael put his arms around her again and drew her close. "Well, maybe you'll remember this..." he moved in toward her and moved his mouth over hers, devouring its softness. He felt her response as she moved her arms up his body and held him tightly. _This should definitely make her remember. _He continued to explore her mouth with his. The smoothness of her lips sent shockwaves through him. He suddenly remembered that she was injured and he could be hurting her. When he parted abruptly, it left both of them breathless.  
Trying to catch his breath, he smiled at her. "Now do you remember?"

Marcie smiled, but almost immediately began to cry afterwards. She looked around the room, searching for something.

"What is it Sweetie? What do you want? Anything. I'll get it for you." Michael could barely look at her, because the tears in her eyes were making his fill as well.

"Wh-where's Al? I want to see Al!"


	7. Chapter 7

Michael looked at the doctor, dumbfounded. _What had Haver done to her?_

"Sweetie, it's me. Michael."  
Marcie pouted. "I don't wanna see you Michael. I only want Al! Please! I love him and he loves me!"  
The doctor walked over to Michael, who was still in shock. "Well she's speaking, which is a really good sign."  
Michael was overcome with anger. "No! It's not okay! Don't you see? She doesn't know who I am!"  
"Do you know who this Al person is?" The doctor asked.  
Michael's face fell. "Yeah." he said in a voice that was barely audible. Before the doctor could respond, Michael grabbed his coat and walked out the door.

Tears blurred his vision making it hard to drive. Somehow, he made it to Roxy's house. Silently he prayed that his mom would be home. He got out of his car and walked to the front door. He knocked softly. Almost instantly, the door opened.

"Hey, Roxy". Michael said. He looked away from her so that she wouldn't see he'd been crying.  
"Michael, honey! Welcome to our humble home! Okay, well maybe it ain't so humble, but it's home anyway. Are you lookin for Johnny? Cuz he ain't here. He and Nattie went out on the town. Hot date you know." She studied her nails.

"Listen Roxy, if I could just see..."

"I told Johnny they should stay here and have a nice quiet romantic dinner, but do they listen? No. I don't like my Nattie being out while that psycho Music Box guy is still on the loose. He already tried to kill my Nattie and almost drowned your poor mother. I hope he runs out of music boxes soon." Roxy looked at Michael.  
Michael shifted his weight from one foot to the other and cleared his throat.

"Oh!" Roxy exclaimed. "Please come in. I'm sure you're freezing. So who were you here to see?"

Normally Roxy wouldn't' bother Michael but today she was getting on his nerves. "My mom?" he answered, slightly exasperated.

"Oh right! I'm not used to having your 'mommy dearest' around here, although the company's been great. Let me get her."

Michael smiled and sat down.

"EVE!" Roxy yelled, causing Michel to cringe. "Your kid is here!"  
"Thanks, Roxy." Michael said glumly.  
"Anytime kid." Roxy replied as she walked into the kitchen.

Just then Eve came down the stairs. Michael stood to greet her with a hug and a kiss. "Oh Michael! I was just thinking about you!" She sat down on the sofa next to him.  
"How is Marcie? I've been so awful about not visiting but with my schedule..."  
Michael smiled. How lucky was he to have found a woman that his mom adores?  
"Did you see the flowers I sent?" Eve asked.  
Michael smiled again, thinking about the large bouquet of flowers. They were filled with every color imaginable. Marcie would love them.  
"Yes, Mom. They're beautiful. I'm sure Marcie will love them."  
"_Will_ love them?" Eve asked.  
Michael could only rub the back of his neck and look at the floor.  
"Honey, what is it?" Eve paused then gasped, putting her hand on her chest. "Oh my... has something happened?"  
"Yeah Mom, it has." Michael said.  
Eve put her hand on his shoulder. "Well what is it? Is Marcie okay?"  
Michael felt his throat go dry. "She's awake."  
Eve broke out into a smile and threw her arms around Michael. "Oh my god! That's wonderful!"  
Michael's response wasn't as enthusiastic as it should have been. Eve sat down. "There's something else, isn't there?"  
Michael nodded.  
"What is it? What happened?" Eve asked.  
"She doesn't remember me. She wants to see Al."

Eve sat back on the sofa in shock. "Who's Al?"  
Michael sighed. "He's the guy Marcie used to date. She was in love with him. He was the 'Voice of the Night' at the Llanview radio station. He died about six months ago. He and Marcie were soul mates. I was working the day that he died."

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry. You must be crushed." Eve touched Michael's hand.  
"It's all my fault." Michael said. "I should have spent more time with her. I should have put her needs before mine. Now she doesn't even know who I am. I played that Simply Red CD thinking that she'd remember everything but instead I guess it triggered memories of Al."

"Michael, you can't blame yourself for what happened. It's not your fault. This is all Dr. Haver's doing. The man is a monster. I just can't believe he'd do something like this to Marcie and just leave her for dead right in the middle of the campus like that. He has to be stopped." Eve said.

Michael thought for a minute. _Haver does need to be stopped. And he knew just how to do it._


	8. Chapter 8

Michael jumped in his car and headed for Llanview University. He knew how devastated Marcie would be if she fell behind in her classes. He walked through the hallway until he came to the radio station. Opening the door, he flipped on the light. Riley said he would leave some notes and assignments for Marcie in here.

He searched around until he found a green folder with Marcie's name on it in big black letters. "Great! Here it is!" He said, picking up the folder, along with a blue notebook. He was about to leave when he saw Marcie's blue sweater hanging on the back of a chair in the DJ's booth. Smiling, he walked over and picked it up. He couldn't resist feeling the soft fleece material against his skin. He brought the sweater to his face and closed his eyes, smelling the sweet scent of her perfume. For a second, he pictured her beside him. He opened his eyes and sighed, realizing that she wasn't there. Throwing the sweater over his shoulder, he picked up Marcie's notebook and folder, turning out the light before he walked out the door.

As he walked into the Onion, he was shocked to find Dr. Haver, sitting alone engrossed in a book. At the sight of Haver, Michael pictured Marcie's face, the way it looked when she was brought into the ER. He was overcome with rage and threw the notebook and folder on the sofa. It made a noise, which startled Haver.

Dr. Haver turned around. "Well, if it isn't John's brother. The infamous Dr. Michael McBain." Haver grinned but Michael knew he was up to something.

"Tell me, Michael..." Dr. Haver continued. "Is John taking care of poor Natalie? Because he'd better watch his step around me. He should know that by now. So what brings you to our institute of higher learning?"

"I'm picking up some school assignments for Marcie since you left her for dead in the middle of campus. She was in a coma for days because of you!" Michael yelled.

"Ah yes, Miss Walsh. One of my best students. Such a charming student... works hard, good personality, bright. But she really needs to work on learning not to walk around campus alone at night. It's not safe. And she should _never_ talk to strangers. I thought she learned that a long time ago."

"Damn you, Haver! I'll kill you myself!" Michael said. Before he knew what was happening, he pushed Dr. Haver so hard, he fell against the wall. Then he grabbed Dr. Haver's shoulders and shook him. "Why did you do it, huh? Do you _like_ trying to hurt innocent people?" Again, he slammed Haver into the wall. This time Dr. Haver fell onto the floor. Seconds later, Haver got to his feet.

"You know, Dr. McBain..." Haver said. "I'd really hate to have to call campus security. It would ruin your reputation at the hospital. I suggest you walk away now and I won't press any charges." With that, Haver walked out of the room, rubbing his shoulder.

Michael walked over to the sofa and picked up Marcie's things. Somehow, Dr. Haver would pay for what he had done. Without looking back, he left the Onion and headed for home.


	9. Chapter 9

_The next day..._  
Michael entered the police station and went straight to Bo's office. Bo looked up and smiled. "Hey, Michael. Nice to see you."  
"Is John around?" Michael asked.  
"No, I'm sorry. He went out for a while." Bo said. "Is it something I can help you with?"  
"Actually I wanted to talk to you about Dr. Haver." Michael said.  
"Haver, huh?" Bo asked. "He sure is a hated man around here. What's on your mind?"  
"Well, I think he's the one who attacked Marcie at Llanview U." Michael said.  
"What makes you so sure?" Bo asked.  
"Well think about it. Haver works there. He knows Marcie. For God sakes, he did her radio show! He tried to kill my mother and Natalie, and he succeeded in killing Gabrielle."  
The moment the words were out of his mouth, Michael immediately regretted them. "Hey, listen. I'm sorry about that. I just meant..."  
"It's fine, really." Bo said. "Thanks for stopping by." As Michael stepped into the lobby, he heard Bo calling his name.  
"Oh, and Michael?"  
"Yeah, Bo?"  
"We're gonna get this SOB if it's the last thing we do, so don't worry about that. Just take care of Marcie, okay?"  
"Thanks, Bo." Michael said as he closed the office door behind him. He looked around the lobby and noticed the desk sitting in the corner. He pictured Marcie sitting there, answering the phone with her gorgeous smiling face. He walked over to the desk, running his hand over the smooth wooden surface. Somehow, being here made him feel closer to her.  
Just then his pager went off. He picked it up and looked at it, noticing that it was the hospital. He actually smiled at the thought of having to work. It would give him an excuse to see Marcie. Not that he needed one.  
He'd almost forgotten that he wanted to talk to John. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed John's number. The voice mail answered, so he left a message...  
"Hey John. It's Michael. I wanted to talk to you, but I have to go to the hospital. I'll call ya later and maybe we can meet at the diner later. Okay? Bye."

He closed his flip phone and walked out of the police station.


	10. Chapter 10

It was early when Michael finished his duties at the hospital, so he decided to check on some of his other patients. He made his way to the main lobby desk. On the way there, he saw Todd and Blair walking down the corridor with Starr.  
"Hey, Dr. McBain!" Starr said, as she waved to him.  
"Hi Starr, how's it going?" Michael asked, smiling at Todd and Blair.  
"My mom's here for a checkup." Starr said. She leaned over and whispered to Michael. "By the way, I'm still working on getting my mom and dad back together and I think I'm getting closer!"  
"Great!" Michael whispered back. "Keep on working at it and I'm sure it will happen."  
"What will happen?" Todd asked.  
Blair looked surprised. She leaned over to Starr. "What were you sayin' to Dr. McBain, Starr?"  
When Starr didn't answer, Blair looked at Michael.  
"Sorry, patient confidentiality. Right, Starr?" Michael said, smiling at Starr.  
Todd and Blair eyed Starr suspiciously.  
"Come on, Starr." Blair said, pulling on Starr's arm.  
"Bye, Dr. McBain." Starr said as Todd and Blair dragged her out of the hospital.  
Michael laughed, waving at her.

Michael went to the desk and picked up a clipboard. He looked at the name; Ben Davidson. Poor guy had been in a coma for so long. For the first time, Michael at least had some idea of what Viki must be going through. He walked into Ben's room. As soon as Viki saw Michael, she stood and walked over to him.  
"Michael..." she said, taking his hand.  
"How's he doing?" Michael asked, looking at Ben.  
Viki smiled and touched Ben's shoulder. "He's still the strong, silent type."  
Michael smiled. He was always amazed by Viki's strength.  
Viki looked at her watch. "I'd better go. Ben needs his rest." She walked over to Ben and kissed him. "Goodbye, my darling. I'll see you soon."  
Michael looked at Viki. "Have-have you seen Marcie today?"  
Viki smiled. "As a matter of fact, I saw her right before I came to visit Ben."  
"Is-is she okay?" Michael asked.  
"She looks a lot better, Michael, really." Viki said. She seemed pretty cheerful despite the horrible ordeal she's been through."  
"You're sure she looked okay?" Michael asked again. He didn't want to sound as though he were doubting Viki, but after what happened to Marcie, he just needed a little more reassurance.  
"Michael, what are you getting at?" Viki asked.  
Michael swallowed the lump in his throat. "Is she still asking for Al?"  
Viki gasped and sat down in the chair next to Ben's bed. "Oh God, Michael. How insensitive of me! Her doctors told me about Marcie's waking up but I had no idea she'd been asking for Al. I'm so sorry." she took Michael's hand again.  
"It's okay." Michael said, looking down on the floor. "I was just wondering how she was."  
Viki stood and put her hand on Michael's shoulder. "Darling, I know she recognized you, but she's probably a little scared right now. She's been through a lot. She'll come out of it, I promise."  
"Thanks, Viki." Michael said, hugging her. "I think I'll go see her now."  
"Take care, Michael." Viki said. "And don't worry, she'll be okay."  
"So will Ben." Michael said, smiling at Viki.  
Michael left Ben's room and made his way to the ICU. He'd been to Marcie's room so many times, he knew the way by heart.


	11. Chapter 11

Michael peered into Marcie's room and saw that she was talking to Ron. A wave of relief came over him. If anyone could get through to Marcie, it was Ron.  
Marcie was laughing, which made Michael smile. Now, though he was worried. How was he going to be able to convince her that he was Michael-the one who cares deeply for her-and not "Michael the jerk"? He had to find a way to make her remember.  
He wanted to enter the room so badly but he was unexpectedly overcome by nervousness. _This is crazy..._

He looked in the room again and was surprised to see that Marcie was standing on her crutches. His heart ached when he saw her crying. Ron was holding a mirror in front of her face, stroking her hair with his hand. "It's okay, Marcie." Ron was saying.  
"What happened to me?" Marcie was asking. "I look terrible!"  
"No, Marcie, No. Don't ever say that. You look beautiful." Ron said.  
Marcie looked at Ron. "Where's Al? I want to see him. Please Ron. Find him for me!"  
Ron sighed. He guided Marcie to her bed and gently sat her down. He sat down on the bed next to her.  
"Marcie..." he seemed to be struggling to find the right words. "Marcie-Al's gone."  
Marcie's eyes widened. "Gone? Well where is he? He's supposed to be here. He loves me!"  
"Marcie..." Ron said again, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Al died."  
"What?" Marcie practically yelled.

"No! That's impossible! He loves me! He'd never leave me!"  
Ron paced the room. Michael could see the frustration in his face. "Marcie, listen to me, please! Al is gone and he's never coming back!" Michael watched as Marcie broke down, sobbing hysterically. Ron wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.  
"It's okay... It's okay..." He said the comforting words over and over as he stroked her hair. They sat holding each other, as he gently rocked her back and forth.  
After a long while, they parted.

"I'm so sorry, honey." Ron said. Marcie smiled when Ron kissed her cheek.  
Unable to take it anymore, Michael stood and walked out of the lobby into the elevators.

*** Later at the diner, Michael walked inside, glad to see that it was deserted. Only Carlotta was there, cleaning the countertops until they glistened.  
"Hey, Michael!" Carlotta said. "Can I get you anything?"  
"Just coffee, but thanks, Carlotta." Michael said.  
Michael took a seat in the corner booth. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed John's number. It rang once.  
"McBain." he heard John say.  
"Hey, John! It's Michael." he said, knowing his voice was breaking slightly. He rubbed his eyes, wiping away threatening tears.  
"Michael! What's up?" John asked.  
"Listen, did you get my message earlier?" Michael asked.  
"Yeah, I did. I'm sorry I didn't call you back, Man. Bo finally convinced me to take the day off, so I'm spending it with Mom and Natalie. Did you want to join us? I know Mom would love to see you." John said.  
"Actually I was over there yesterday, so I got to see Mom, but thanks for inviting me." Michael said.  
"So, Michael, you wanted to talk?" John asked.  
"Did you hear about Marcie?" Michael asked as Carlotta brought over his coffee.  
"Yeah. Mom told me. That must have been terrible. Are you okay?" John asked.  
"Well the doctors say it's only temporary memory loss, so I'm praying she'll remember something soon." Michael said.  
"Do you think she could tell us anything about the attack?" John asked.  
"I don't know. I don't think she remembers anything." Michael said. He paused for a moment. "Listen, actually I wanted to talk to you about something else. Could you meet me here in a few minutes? It might help your investigation."  
"Sure thing. I'll be there as fast as I can." John said. "Bye."  
"Bye, John." Michael said into the phone, knowing that John had hung up and was already on his way.


	12. Chapter 12

Michael sat in the booth, drinking his coffee. A waitress passed by, and he smiled, remembering that Marcie told him she used to work in the diner.  
Minutes later, John arrived. He walked over to the corner booth and slid into the seat across from Michael.  
"Hey, Michael. Nice to see you." John said.  
Michael tried to smile. "Hi John. Thanks for coming. I hope I didn't take you away from anything."  
"No, it's fine." John said. "Mom told me the whole story. So Marcie's gonna be okay, right?"  
"Well to be honest, I really don't know. I mean, today Ron was there and he told her that Al was dead. Marcie was shocked, you know? Like she had no idea. I couldn't stand watching him tell her because it was as though she were hearing it for the first time. She was so grief-stricken." Michael said.  
"Wow. So how do you know she doesn't remember you?" Michael asked.  
"Oh, I think she remembers me, all right. She just doesn't remember that we care about each other. I think she sees me as the guy who treated her badly. I thought that by playing that Simply Red CD, it would remind her of Valentine's Day, but instead it just reminded her of Al." Michael said with a sigh.  
"Hey, Michael. I'm sure she's just scared and confused right now. She'll come out of it." John said.  
Michael's eyes narrowed. You know... you sound suspiciously like Mom. Did she tell you to say that?"  
John's face turned red, and he smiled, holding up his arms in mock surrender. "Okay, I admit it. You got me." Michael laughed, grateful for the humor. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed. Since the day Marcie was brought into the ER, it seemed that his life was filled with nothing but sadness.  
"Thanks for the laugh, John. I really needed that." Michael said, smiling.  
"Anytime." John said.  
Michael's face turned serious. "So what should I do?"  
"About Marcie, you mean?" John asked. "Just give her time. Talk about things the two of you shared, play the Simply Red CD again. Maybe it will trigger something else. Or better yet, ask if she remembers anything about the attack."  
"I don't want to upset her." said Michael. "She's been through a lot."  
"If she remembers anything, we can use it to nail Haver. We already know that he's responsible for all of these killings. Instead of worrying about Marcie being upset over your asking her about the attack, think about Haver being caught. I mean he almost killed her, Mom and Natalie." John said.  
"Yeah, you're right." Michael said. "Thanks, John."

Instantly, he felt better.


	13. Chapter 13

After changing clothes, Michael got into his car and drove to the hospital. On the way, he noticed a flower shop about a block away from the hospital. He went inside and minutes later emerged with a fragrant bouquet of daisies. She had told him that Al used to buy daisies for her. The first time Michael brought her daisies, she seemed very touched. He hoped this would help her to finally remember.

He got to Marcie's room and found her in bed reading a book. As soon as he opened the door, she looked up and smiled.  
"Michael." she said. The sound of his name on her lips warmed his heart.  
"Hi." he said, almost shyly. He walked into the room and held out the bouquet of daisies. "These are for you."  
She smiled, taking them from him and smelling the sweet scent. "Thank you." she said. "These are beautiful."  
"So are you." Michael said. He noticed a pained look come over Marcie's face, but said nothing.  
Michael looked into her eyes. "Marcie, I heard you talking with Ron earlier about Al. I hated seeing you cry. It broke my heart. Are you okay?" He brushed the hair from her face with his fingertips.  
Marcie smiled. "I am now."  
Michael didn't know what to say. Maybe it was really happening. Could it be that she remembered who he was?  
"Are you sure you're okay about Al?" he asked. "I'm so sorry. I know you really loved him." He thought Marcie might cry again, but instead she gave him a small smile.  
"I do love him. I just-I don't know... When Ron told me... I can't believe I had forgotten he was gone... I... can't remember a lot of things." She looked down at the floor.  
Michael's heart ached for her. He reached out and touched her face, desperately wanting to hold her in his arms. The moment his fingers touched her face, Marcie moved away.  
"Please, no... "She said.

"What is it?" Michael asked.  
"I'm ugly." Marcie said.  
Michael cringed. Damn that Haver for doing this to her!  
"Marcie, no. You're not ugly. Please don't even think that." Michael said.  
Marcie reached over and picked up the mirror, staring at her reflection. "Look at me!" she cried, touching the bruises that were almost faded. The swelling was gone and the cuts had almost completely healed.  
Gently, Michael took her chin in his fingers and turned her face toward his. "You're beautiful." he said.  
Marcie smiled. "Al was the last person who said that to me."  
"Well he was right." Michael said, caressing her cheek.

Just then the door opened as John and Bo walked in.  
"Hi guys!" said Marcie.  
"Hey, Marcie! How are you doing?" John asked, as he walked toward the bed.  
Bo walked over and hugged her. "We're so glad you decided to come back to us."  
"Listen, Marcie..." John said. "We were wondering if you are up for some questions."  
Marcie looked at Michael, who gave her a sympathetic look. He took her hand. "It'll be okay, I promise." he said, smiling.  
"Well... okay." Marcie said softly.  
"Great." John said.  
Bo held a tape recorder in his hand. "Marcie, we're going to tape this if you don't mind. This will help us catch Haver, so he can't hurt you anymore, okay?"  
Marcie nodded, looking at Michael.  
"So..." John began. "Do you remember what happened? Anything at all? Take your time and try to give us as many details as possible."  
Marcie sat for a long while, Michael holding her hand. Trying to concentrate, Marcie closed her eyes. Suddenly, tears began falling down her cheeks. Michael, Bo and John looked at each other. John nodded as Bo turned on the tape recorder.  
"Marcie, do you remember anything?" John asked softly. Michael laced his fingers through Marcie's and squeezed gently.  
"Well, I had just finished my radio show, and it was dark outside..."  
"At the University?" John asked.  
"Yeah." Marcie said.  
"Okay, then what happened?" Bo asked, writing in a notebook.  
"Well, I was walking across campus to my car when I saw Dr. Haver. He's my favorite teacher, so I walked over to say hello." Marcie said.  
John, Michael and Bo waited patiently as she struggled to continue.  
"He knew about the radio show I had done on the Music Box Killer, so he started asking me about it. "  
"Really-" John said." Like what?"  
"Well, he started asking me what I knew about how the victims died. I told him it wasn't that type of show and that the topic was campus security because of the Music Box Killer."  
She paused a few minutes.  
"It's okay, Marcie." Michael said as he moved closer to her and rubbed her back.  
"Okay, so Haver asked you about the victims, right?" Bo asked.  
"Yeah, and then he started asking me if I thought he was the killer. I told him no, and he didn't believe me. He asked me the same question over and over. The more I said no, the madder he got." Marcie said.  
"He thought you suspected him as the killer?" John asked.  
"Yeah, I was getting really scared because I could see that he was so mad at me. I'd never seen him get mad before. I didn't know what I had done wrong. When I asked him why he was mad, he hit me. I started screaming and he covered my mouth. I shut my eyes and felt him dragging me onto the grass. He pulled me up and then threw me on the ground. I got up and tried to run, and he hit me again-over and over... he..."  
Marcie began to sob. "Oh God... he hit me so hard... I thought I was going to die..."  
Michael whispered in her ear. "I'll be right back, okay?" He motioned for John and Bo to go into the hallway. Bo put away the notebook and turned off the tape recorder.

Bo and John stood up and walked over to Marcie. Bo put his hand on her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Marcie. We'll make sure he never hurts anyone again."  
John stood and went to Marcie, hugging her. "Thank you. It'll be okay. He won't hurt you. I swear to it." He kissed her on the head and left the room with Bo.

Michael followed them out of the room into the hallway. "God, I've never seen her that upset before. Jeez, John! You've got to catch this guy! He almost killed her!"  
Bo put his hand on Michael's shoulder. "It'll be okay, Michael. We'll take care of Haver. You just take care of Marcie."  
"I'll call you later, bro." John said, smiling.  
"Thanks." Michael said as he watched them walk down the hall toward the elevators.

Michael turned and looked in the window of Marcie's room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, sobbing into a pillow. He just couldn't bear seeing her like this.  
Gently, he opened the door and went in, closing it behind him.  
Slowly, he walked over to the bed and sat down. "Marcie..." he said putting his hand on her shoulder.  
"Oh god, Michael!" Marcie said as she threw her arms around him. "I thought I'd never see you again!"  
Michael was stunned. It was really happening...  
He held her tightly, letting her sob in his arms. "Marcie, Marcie. I'm here for you, always." He said, moving her back and forth.  
Finally she let go and he looked at her face, which was now covered in tears. "Oh Sweetie..." He said.  
"The whole time he was hitting me, all I could think of was you. I kept thinking of Valentine's Day at Capricorn and then at Angel square in the rain. How wonderful it was that you got Simply Red to play there just for me."  
Michael looked at her, astonished... He held her tightly and shut his eyes.  
Thank God...  
"Marcie..." he said, breathlessly.  
Tears burned his eyes as he rubbed her back. She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, shocked to see that he was crying.  
"Michael! What's wrong?" She asked, brushing away a tear with her thumb.  
"Nothing, Baby." Michael said. "Everything is just perfect." He pulled her toward him and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her tenderly.


	14. Chapter 14

Bo and John stepped out of the elevator into the hallway. "Well, we finally did it." Bo said, putting his hand on John's shoulder.  
"Yeah, and we have you to thank for that, Commissioner." John said, smiling.  
"Well, you deserve most of the credit, McBain." Bo said.  
"I'm just so glad this is all over with and we can get on with our lives." John said.  
"You mean yours and Natalie's?" Bo asked with a grin.  
"Ha ha, very funny." John said, smiling.  
They walked down the hallway, stopping as they got to the door.  
"Well..." Bo said. "Do you want to do the honors?"  
"Sure." John said He reached for the doorknob and paused, hearing a faint sound.  
"What is it?" asked Bo.  
"Not sure." said John. "Sounds like music." He listened again.

"Yep, that's what it is. Simply Red."  
"Well, go on in there and tell him." Bo said. "Tell him we got Haver!"  
John looked through the window. Then he let go of the doorknob.  
"What's wrong?" Bo asked.  
"Ah... nothing. You know, I think I'll come back and deliver the news later." John said, smiling. Without a word, he looked at Bo and nodded.  
Bo peered inside, smiling at what he saw. Marcie and Michael, standing in the middle of the floor, their arms wrapped around each other as they slowly danced to the sounds of Simply Red. Their foreheads touched as they paused for a moment to share a kiss.  
Bo moved away from the window and smiled at John.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe we should come back later."

THE END


End file.
